29 Places to Go in 2009 - Atlanta is #1 in U.S. (Columbus: theater, to live in)

[johnatl]

Originally Posted by south-to-west

If Atlanta had not been founded, then Birmingham probably would have ascended to the commerce and transportation hub of the Southeast given its historical industrial might and central location relative to the rest of the Southeast.

Atlanta did not get to where it is now just by merely existing. It was rather the forward thinking and progressive leadership that the city has enjoyed over the past 150 years that has led to its prosperity. Historically, the business and political leaders of Atlanta had always put business and commerce first over ethnic divisions and resentment towards the industrial north. Rather than holding on to backlash sentiment against the North and isolating itself, Atlanta aspired to be one of the great American cities and subsequently a world-class city towards the end of the 20th Century. These are all historical aspects and patterns that have not been evident in the rest of the state.

Bingo! Sadly, this attribute was not just lacking in the other Georgia cities, it was also lacking/nonexistant in Birmingham, Jacksonville, Memphis and Charlotte. Atlanta is way more than an accident of geography and infrastructure. There is a reason we have risen to the level we have, and south-to-west knows it.

Great post, south-to-west!

[J2rescue]

The question then becomes "without Atlanta" where would those visionary leaders have settled.

While I do not agree with the notion that the secondary cities are still relatively small because of competing with Atlanta, "without Atlanta" the rest of the state would certainly not be identical to the way it is today.

To contribute to the OP's topic, the Terra Cotta Army exhibit was ranked by Time magazine as on of the top 10 exhibits of the year.

[neil0311]

Originally Posted by joe2000

The same can be said for Chicago, NYC, Boston, etc. Without those cities those states would be poor

Don't know about Illinois, but that's not true for NY and especially not for MA which actually has most of the wealth and business outside Boston.

[johnatl]

^That's a good question, J2. I'm not sure, but it's a fact that the leadership here was heads and shoulders above the rest of the region when we needed them to be.

[tonygeorgia]

Originally Posted by neil0311

Don't know about Illinois, but that's not true for NY and especially not for MA which actually has most of the wealth and business outside Boston.

Most people only know of Chicago when Illinois is brought up, most people only know how NYC when NY is brought up. The same goes for Boston

[ATLCOL1]

Originally Posted by joe2000

The same can be said for Chicago, NYC, Boston, etc. Without those cities those states would be poor

I agree 100%.

[neil0311]

Originally Posted by joe2000

Most people only know of Chicago when Illinois is brought up, most people only know how NYC when NY is brought up. The same goes for Boston

Sorry, but not sure who you classify as "most people" but they don't sound too informed. Just because people you know haven't heard of places doesn't make them unimportant or make the previous statement true.

Have you heard of Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, Albany, Long Island? NYC is certainly a huge part of the NY economy, but there is a huge state there as well.

Boston is a very small city that has the financial and government centers, but most of the high tech business and other wealth is outside Rte 128 and 495...places called Waltham, Natick, Wellesley, Framingham, Burlington, Hopkinton (EMC Corporation), Westboro, Worcester, etc. Boston actually benefits from the metro-west and surrounding towns more than the other way around.

[BringBackCobain]

Originally Posted by south-to-west

If Atlanta had not been founded, then Birmingham probably would have ascended to the commerce and transportation hub of the Southeast given its historical industrial might and central location relative to the rest of the Southeast.

Atlanta did not get to where it is now just by merely existing. It was rather the forward thinking and progressive leadership that the city has enjoyed over the past 150 years that has led to its prosperity. Historically, the business and political leaders of Atlanta had always put business and commerce first over ethnic divisions and resentment towards the industrial north. Rather than holding on to backlash sentiment against the North and isolating itself, Atlanta aspired to be one of the great American cities and subsequently a world-class city towards the end of the 20th Century. These are all historical aspects and patterns that have not been evident in the rest of the state.

True, but what made Atlanta what it is today is the airport. Both Birmingham and Atlanta were competing for the airport, and at the time they were very similar cities. Atlanta won the airport, but if Birmingham had won, the two cities would be reversed today.

[johnatl]

Wrong. Birmingham was embroiled in waging war against it's own citizens back then. The Airport decision was sealed back in the 20's when Atlanta was granted the airmail routes by the Feds.

[south-to-west]

Originally Posted by BringBackCobain

True, but what made Atlanta what it is today is the airport. Both Birmingham and Atlanta were competing for the airport, and at the time they were very similar cities. Atlanta won the airport, but if Birmingham had won, the two cities would be reversed today.

Actually Atlanta was already the major transportation hub for the Southeast before the airport given its establishment as a major railroad junction at the foot of the Applachains 170 years ago. After the Civil War, civic leaders wanted the city to emerge as the business center of the Southeast. In doing this, they recognized that they had to transcend a lot of the divisions and resentment which characterized a lot of the South.

Although not always in perfect harmony, Atlanta's mainly white civic leaders worked with many leaders in the city's black community to avoid explosive confrontations like what was occurring in Birmingham. Atlanta's politically insular environment attracted businesses from elsewhere to establish regional headquarters here; and some even relocated their entire operations here. In the end this business friendly, politically stable environment was how Atlanta's airport developed into being where it is today. It's also in part how this city was able to attract the Olympics here, as well as other major events.